Restraint with indicator area
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorNathaniel J. Dennis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A restraint includes a belt, a connecting structure that is connected to the belt, a buckle housing that includes a connector opening for insertion of the connecting structure, a latch assembly that is configured to retain the connecting structure in the connector opening, and a release button that is connected to the buckle housing and is configured to cause the latch assembly to release the connecting structure when the release button is operated. A first indicator area is located on the buckle portion adjacent to the connector opening. A second indicator area is located on the release button. A third indicator area is located on the release button and is surrounded by the second indicator area.
Claims21
A safety device for a vehicle, comprising:
- an opaque surface;
- a first indicator area that includes first openings that extend through the opaque surface and a first lighting device that is located in a first interior space behind the opaque surface;
- and
- a second indicator area that includes second openings that extend through the opaque surface and a second lighting device that is located in a second interior space behind the opaque surface,
- wherein the first openings are less than one-hundred micrometers in diameter to cause the opaque surface to appear uninterrupted in the first indicator area when the first lighting device is not illuminated and the second openings are sized such that the opaque surface appears to be uninterrupted in the second indicator area when the second lighting device is not illuminated.
A safety device for a vehicle, comprising:
- a housing including a slot;
- an insertable portion configured to fit within the slot;
- a first indicator area that is located on the housing, the first indicator area including an opaque surface of the housing, first perforations formed through the opaque surface of the housing, and a first lighting device that is located in an interior space of the housing that is behind the opaque surface;
- and
- a second indicator area that is located on the housing surrounding the slot, second perforations formed through the opaque surface of the housing such that the second perforations surround the slot, and a second lighting device that is located in the interior space of the housing that is behind the opaque surface;
- wherein each of the first and second lighting devices may be activated and deactivated to define a first illumination state in which one or both of the first and second indicator areas are illuminated by the first and second lighting devices, respectively, and a second illumination state in which one or both of the first and second indicator areas are not illuminated by the first and second lighting devices, respectively.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a body;
- a safety device coupled to the body, the safety device including:
- a housing having an opaque surface;
- an indicator area defined by holes formed through the opaque surface of the housing;
- and
- a lighting device that is located in an interior space of the housing that is behind the indicator area,
- wherein the indicator area is selectively illuminated to indicate an operating state of the safety device and the holes are sized such that the opaque surface appears to be uninterrupted in the indicator area when the lighting device is not illuminated,
- wherein the safety device is a safety restraint, the housing is a buckle portion of the safety restraint, the safety restraint further includes a tongue plate, the housing further includes a slot configured to receive the tongue plate, and the indicator area extends around the slot to indicate the location of the slot through selective illumination of the indicator area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.